Risa Morales - Abelardo Morell

The Universe Next Door

At the Southwest School of Arts and Crafts, there is an exhibit currently running by Abelardo Morell. The work on display is primarily composed of images that were created using a camera obscura, but there are othr formats included, as well. The body of work is a mixture of incredibly large silver gelatin prints and pigment printed images.

I was quite impressed by his print quality on his silver gelatin images, I know that getting images to come out in such a large scale can be a challenge. His print quality is such that you don't notice the grain (which generally indicates to me with images of this scale that he shoots with large format film), and that you don't get stuck on issues with exposure... instead you are drawn into the subject matter at hand.

And the subject! Unlike many other gallery showings I've seen, this one enchanted me. Mr. Morell addresses his subject with wonder and, at times, a large degree of playfulness. He seems to be fascinated by light and perception, as all of his images address these topics in some way. His camera obscura work presents an alternate reality overlaying the "true" one. The photos are taken of the inside of a room, with only a small pinhole or lens allowing light to project across the walls, the images that of the world outside... but upside down. The idea is very similar to that of a pinhole camera, just generally on a much larger scale. The two images overlay each other, each speaking volumes about the location, and giving a singular perspective on that moment in time. The size of the works makes one feel as if one was almost there, in this moment and space, the magic of the moment deftly captured by his lens.

He also has a series within the show of images that are all taken within a gilt photo frame. The things shown inside this frame are picturesque landscapes, with suble things here and there that slowly cause the viewer to realize that the photo frame was actually placed in these environments (such as grasses that overlay the frame, or are bunching up around it). Upon careful inspection, one also notices that the only thing in these iamges that is truly tack sharp, is the picture frame itself. Comparing these images with his other works, one realizes that Mr. Morell has no problems getting the desired object in focus, and one can only assume that the distinction is intentional, and causes one to shift one's perspective about what the photo is really about... the landscape or the image?

His repeated unique perspectives in his photography show a playful wonder about the world, whether by framing a shot of an antique portrait to show that the subject is examining the corner of his own frame, or by positioning books so that the printed portraits within interactw ith each other in a meaningful way. Is is this perspective that captured me, and causes me to wish to see more of his works. I believe that he is actually coming to the SWSAC to discuss his images, but unfortunately I think the session is already full, otherwise I'd be there to hear his own perspective on things.